The planned 200,000-sf building will be located in the Baltimore suburb of Jessup, replacing the existing lab in Downtown Baltimore. To be operated by the Department of Health's Laboratories Administration, the new central lab will replace the existing 1960s era property, which has fallen into such disrepair that officials have deemed it more cost-effective to replace than refurbish.

The new locale will provide a high-tech environment for isolating diseases and performing tests. "It will not necessarily be much larger than the existing space, but it will be more efficient and will be state-of-the-art," DHMH public affairs officer John Hammond tells GlobeSt.com. "It will also be more centrally located in the state."

The funds provided for in the state budget would finance the building's initial design, which is part of Phase I of the project. The remainder of the first phase includes site work, schematics and initial construction drawings. Phase II will consist of completed construction drawings during FY 2008 in preparation for the start of construction in FY 2009.